拖拖拉拉

tuōtuōlālā

verb #25,541

Meanings

1 to procrastinate
2 to dawdle
3 to drag one's feet
4 to be slow and disorganized

Characters

to drag/to delay

to drag (repeated)

to pull/to drag

to pull (repeated)

Examples

他做什么事都拖拖拉拉的。

Tā zuò shénme shì dōu tuōtuōlālā de.

He dawdles over everything he does.

别拖拖拉拉了，快点出发！

Bié tuōtuōlālā le, kuài diǎn chūfā!

Stop dawdling, let's get moving!

Tips

memory

拖 means to drag, and 拉 also means to pull or drag. Doubled as 拖拖拉拉, it vividly suggests someone dragging their feet in every direction — going nowhere fast.

Stroke Order

拖 tuō

拉 lā